WhatsApp tops UK apps at 92%: Ofcom’s 2025 digital stats you can’t miss

The United Kingdom’s embrace of the digital realm has reached unprecedented heights, with 98 per cent of adults now online – a testament to seamless connectivity that has transformed everyday routines.

Yet, as Ofcom’s comprehensive Online Nations 2025 report illustrates, this near-universal access is shadowed by widening disparities in app adoption and persistent digital exclusion.

Drawing on surveys of more than 6,000 adults and detailed usage data from May 2025, the report spotlights smartphones as the undisputed kings of online time, fuelling a boom in messaging, streaming, and social engagement.

“The UK remains one of the most connected nations in the world,” Ofcom notes, positioning Britain ahead of the United States (93 per cent penetration) and Germany (92 per cent).

Home internet access stands firm at 95 per cent among those aged 16 and over, with fixed broadband serving 94 per cent of connected households.

However, 5 per cent – roughly 2.7 million people – lack home access, a figure unchanged from 2024 but down from 7 per cent in 2022-23.

In this public interest exploration, we delve into how apps and the internet shape our lives – from the thrill of instant connectivity to the shadows of online harms and the promise of AI-driven innovation.

As digital tools become indispensable for work, leisure, and wellbeing, the report raises pressing questions about equity, safety, and the societal impact of our screen-saturated existence.

The Smartphone Supremacy:

• Devices and Time Spent Online

Smartphones have solidified their role as the primary portal to the internet, accounting for 77 per cent of all online time on an average day – up from 75 per cent in 2024. UK adults now log an average of 4 hours and 30 minutes online daily, a 10-minute increase year-on-year, with young adults aged 18-24 leading at 6 hours and 20 minutes.

Gender and age nuances emerge starkly:

Women dedicate 79 per cent of their online time to smartphones (versus 75 per cent for men), while 18-24-year-olds spend a whopping 81 per cent on mobiles, averaging 5 hours and 5 minutes.

Ownership trends favour Apple, with 54 per cent of smartphone users opting for iPhones (up from 52 per cent), particularly among 16-24-year-olds (69 per cent) and higher socioeconomic groups (64 per cent in AB brackets).

Android holds steady at 45 per cent, dominant in lower-income DE groups (53 per cent).

Here are the top device ownership and usage stats from the report:

•  95% of UK adults aged 16+ own a smartphone.

•  77% of daily online time on smartphones (up 2pp from 2024).

•  4 hours 30 minutes average daily online time (up 10 minutes YoY).

•  6 hours 20 minutes for 18-24s (highest); 3 hours 20 minutes for 65+ (lowest).

•  iPhone dominance: 54% overall; 69% among youth.

App Explosion: WhatsApp Reigns Supreme Among Britain’s Digital Toolkit

App usage has surged, with smartphone owners accessing an average of 41 apps monthly – a rise of three from 2024. Women edge ahead with 42 apps on average, compared to 40 for men. Messaging and social platforms dominate, reflecting a nation hooked on instant connectivity.

The report ranks the top 10 smartphone apps by reach among UK adult users (May 2025):

1.  WhatsApp: 92% reach (up from 91%), daily access 76% (35.9 million users).

2.  Facebook: 85% (up from 84%), daily 63% (29.8 million).

3.  Google Maps: 77% (up from 73%).

4.  YouTube: 72% overall; 84% among 18-34s.

5.  Instagram: 67%; daily 44% (21 million).

6.  TikTok: 46% (10th spot; 65% among 18-34s, 50% among women).

7.  Gmail: Daily 36% (16.8 million).

8.  Snapchat: High among youth; 45 minutes daily for children aged 8-14.

9.  BBC News: Integral to news consumption.

10.  Amazon: Tied to e-commerce boom.

Platform-specific highlights include Android’s Google Play Store (95%) and iPhone’s Apple Music (94%).

Daily engagement underscores the stickiness:

WhatsApp users average 17 minutes per day (up from 15), while Instagram clocks 20 minutes (up from 17). TikTok’s reach has jumped 14 percentage points to 56 per cent, with 28 minutes daily.

Ofcom observes steady progress in digital literacy:

“We’ve seen steady progress in closing the digital divide, but more work is needed to ensure no one is left behind in our increasingly app-dependent society.”

Emerging sectors highlight apps’ expanding role in daily life. In finance, PayPal features in the top ten across nations with 63-64 per cent reach, while travel apps like Google Maps (77 per cent) aid navigation.

Education and mental health apps are gaining traction, with 76 per cent of children aged 8-14 visiting education services monthly – Duolingo (21 per cent), Wikipedia (17 per cent), and Sparx (17 per cent) leading.

For wellbeing, 69 per cent of 13-17s use online services for relaxation (45 per cent) or mood improvement (32 per cent), with ASMR and self-improvement content popular, though not without drawbacks.

Online Activities: Streaming, Shopping, and Social Media Steal the Spotlight

Our digital diets are dominated by entertainment and commerce. Alphabet and Meta services capture 51 per cent of online time (2 hours 18 minutes daily, up from 48 per cent). Video streaming leads, with YouTube boasting 94 per cent reach and 51 minutes daily (up from 47).

Key top online activities and stats:

•  Streaming/Video: 72% weekly users; YouTube 94% reach, TikTok 56% (up 14pp).

•  Social Media: 90% of 16+ adults use it; 62% access multiple times daily. Reddit up 28pp to 60% reach; X down 13pp to 39%.

•  E-Commerce: 98% visited retail sites (32.2 million); Amazon 88% reach (43.2 million users, 2 hours 15 minutes monthly). Temu doubled to 58% reach; Vinted up 53% to 29%.

•  News: 97% reach; BBC 77% (37.6 million); The Sun 45% (22 million). 69% daily access, 10 minutes average.

•  Health/Wellbeing: 86% visited services; NHS app up 12% to 2.5 million users.

•  Dating: 11% usage; Tinder 1.5 million audience (down YoY).

•  Gaming: Roblox up 26% to 2.4 million adult users; 7 hours monthly per visitor.

Children aged 8-14 average 3 hours online daily, with YouTube (96% reach, 48 minutes) and Snapchat (45 minutes) topping the bill. Notably, 64 per cent use devices between 11pm and 5am at least occasionally.

AI is reshaping these activities, particularly search and content creation. Google Search handles 3 billion monthly UK queries, with 30 per cent delivering AI-supported overviews (AIOs).

ChatGPT saw 252 million web visits in August 2025, up 156 per cent year-on-year, making it the second-largest search service. Other tools like Gemini (up 146 per cent) and Claude (up 138 per cent) are rising. However, AIOs reduce clicks to original content by 50 per cent, and post-ChatGPT adoption, Google clicks drop 26 per cent.

Among children, AI aids learning: 22 per cent of 13-14s use Gauth AI, and 9 per cent of 8-14s visit ChatGPT monthly.

Gaming Boom: Roblox Surges Past Candy Crush as UK’s Top Mobile Game, Ofcom Data Shows

Amid the UK’s digital deluge, gaming emerges as one of the most universal online pursuits – not confined to dedicated ‘gamers’ or children, but embraced by nearly everyone wielding a smartphone, tablet, or PC.

Ofcom’s Online Nations 2025 report reveals a vibrant sector where visits to major gaming sites and apps grew steadily through 2024-25, bucking a slowdown in broader digital entertainment.

“Gaming is one of the most universal online activities,” the report affirms, encompassing quick puzzle sessions, virtual world explorations with friends, and spectating competitive play.

For UK online adults aged 18+, app-based gaming is dominated by a mix of casual and social titles, with Roblox dethroning long-time leader Candy Crush Saga. Drawing on Ipsos iris data for May 2025, the report charts the top 10 app games by adult audience size:

1.  Roblox: 2.4 million users (+27% YoY from 1.9m); average 7 hours per visitor (-35% from 10:47).

2.  Candy Crush Saga: 2.0 million (-11% from 2.2m); 8:23 hours (+4% from 8:04).

3.  MONOPOLY GO!: 1.9 million (+8% from 1.7m); 12:05 hours (-7% from 12:58).

4.  Royal Match: 1.8 million (-4% from 1.9m); 8:16 hours (+35% from 6:08).

5.  Pokemon GO: 1.7 million (-1%); 12:58 hours (+10% from 11:49).

6.  Solitaire – Grand Harvest: 1.4 million (+6% from 1.3m); 6:13 hours (+7% from 5:50).

7.  Crossword Puzzle Redstone: 1.4 million (+55% from 0.9m); 2:17 hours (+7% from 2:08).

8.  Dominoes – Classic Edition: 1.3 million (+5% from 1.2m); 6 minutes (-1%).

9.  Scrabble: 1.2 million (+96% from 0.6m); 3:07 hours (-76% from 12:48).

10.  Coin Master: 1.1 million (-1%); 10:08 hours (-16% from 12:04).

Roblox’s ascent is particularly striking, with a 26% audience swell year-on-year, fuelling its position in the fragmented ‘other’ category of online time (7% share).

The platform has rolled out safety enhancements, including Trusted Connections for age-based chats, Roblox Sentinel – an open-source AI detecting child endangerment signals – and refined voice/text filters.

By January 2026, face recognition will gate chat access across markets.

Demographic Deep Dive: Youth Surge, Seniors Advance Amid Socioeconomic Gaps

Generational divides persist, but gains are evident. Internet use among over-75s has climbed to 83 per cent, though one in five (20 per cent) lacks home access. Urban areas like London (97 per cent smartphone penetration) outpace Northern Ireland (92 per cent).

Key demographic breakdowns:

•  Age: 100% of 16-24s online; 92% daily social media. 13% of 65+ offline.

•  Gender: Women online 98% (equal to men); 65% daily social media (vs 58% men). Women spend 4 hours 43 minutes daily (vs 4 hours 17 minutes for men).

•  Region: Wales/Scotland highest time (4 hours 50 minutes/4 hours 48 minutes); rural-urban app gap: 82% urban ride-hailing vs 65% rural.

•  Socioeconomic: 94% access in deprived areas (up 3pp); app adoption 70%. AB groups favour iPhones (64%); DE Android (53%).

•  Children (8-17): Girls spend 17 minutes more daily; 91% happy with activities, but 70% encounter harms (bullying 58%).

Ethnic minorities report higher harm exposure (77 per cent vs 69 per cent for White users), while those with health conditions face lower satisfaction (87 per cent happy with activities vs 91 per cent without).

For children, wellbeing varies: 91 per cent of 8-17s are happy with online activities, but this declines with age (51 per cent of 8-9s ‘always’ happy vs 42 per cent of 16-17s). A 56 per cent say the internet has a mostly good effect on self-feeling, though 34 per cent see both positives and negatives.

Demographic nuances include higher positive effects among ethnic minorities (62 per cent vs 55 per cent White) but lower for LGBTQ+ youth (40 per cent vs 57 per cent heterosexual).

Quotes from young users reveal the double-edged sword: a 14-year-old girl said of ASMR content, “It just calms me down and stops me from overthinking, which is really helpful in stressful situations like homework and test preparation because, you know, I have a GCSE coming up in three weeks’ time for the RE short course.”

Conversely, a 12-year-old girl noted on self-improvement videos, “Sometimes it can come up with things that are a bit inappropriate, like swearing sometimes, which isn’t good, and I just have to, like, quickly skip through the video.”

Some children describe ‘brain rot’ from excessive scrolling, leading to overstimulation: an 11-year-old girl shared, “What I’ve been told is that when I get off my screen, I’m less fun to be around… I want to go back to my iPad, and I want to stay there forever.”

A 13-year-old added, “I find it really hard to watch movies… our brains aren’t used to watching really long things… I can watch TikTok for hours and hours and hours and not get bored.”

Digital Exclusion and Harms: Progress Tempered by Challenges

Exclusion affects 5 per cent without home internet, with 81 per cent unlikely to connect soon – 97 per cent among 65+ citing disinterest. Cost barriers have eased (18 per cent, down from 27 per cent), but 22 per cent rely on others.

Harms are rife: 37 per cent encountered upsetting content (up 6pp), with misinformation (41 per cent) and scams (34 per cent) topping concerns.

Overall, 66 per cent faced potential harms, though 98 per cent worry about at least one issue, including child sexual abuse material (90 per cent).

Perceptions sour: only 33 per cent view the internet as good for society (down from 40 per cent), and 65 per cent believe benefits outweigh risks (down from 71 per cent).

For children, 70 per cent of 11-17s saw harms like bullying (58 per cent), with scrolling feeds the main vector (37 per cent). Yet, 69 per cent use online tools for wellbeing, such as relaxation (45 per cent).

Detailed harms include fake images/videos at 22 per cent (up from 18 per cent), with 53 per cent seen in recommended feeds.

Adults struggle to identify AI content: a 24-year-old participant said, “Sometimes you see some TikToks or videos on Facebook, or photos on Facebook, and you can sort of tell. Well, sometimes you can, sometimes it’s hard to tell if they’re AI.” Forty-seven per cent have never seen AI labels, despite 85 per cent deeming them important.

Responses vary: 60 per cent took action against harms, but 40 per cent did nothing. Women (57 per cent) and minority ethnic groups (52 per cent) call for more safety measures (48 per cent overall, up from 40 per cent in 2023).

Concerns extend to data privacy (77 per cent high worry) and advertising influences on children’s spending (58 per cent spent online monthly, 43 per cent regret social media purchases).

Historical Trends and Future Outlook: Towards AI and Inclusive Connectivity

Internet penetration has soared from 78 per cent in 2010, with app reliance quadrupling since 2015. Time online rose across ages except 35-44s (down 8 minutes). Emerging trends include AI search (30 per cent of queries yield overviews; ChatGPT 252 million visits in August) and porn site shifts post-age assurance (Pornhub visitors down 31 per cent).

Over the decade, sentiments have shifted: positive views of the internet’s societal impact fell to 33 per cent, with young adults dropping 9 points. Children’s online evolution from basic access in 2014 to AI-integrated learning underscores changes.

Regulatory impacts from the Online Safety Act show promise: no harm increases post-illegal content codes (March 2025), with declines in areas like child abuse content. Protection of Children codes (July 2025) establish baselines, with updates in May 2026.

Ofcom warns: “Digital exclusion isn’t just about access; it’s about meaningful participation.”

As voice apps eye 30 per cent of interactions by 2030, calls grow for subsidies and skills training to ensure equitable growth. Future projections include agentic AI for tasks and ongoing monitoring of children’s harms via panels.

UK’s Digital Dawn Demands Inclusive Action

Ofcom’s Online Nations 2025 celebrates a hyper-connected UK while urging vigilance on divides. With apps redefining leisure and labour, fostering safe, accessible tech remains paramount.

This article draws on Ofcom’s Online Nations 2025 report. Full details at Ofcom’s website.